Microsoft Announces Kinect Hardware For Windows Coming In 2014

Earlier this week at the Xbox Reveal, Microsoft said it would be bringing the Kinect Hardware to Windows users. Through their Kinect For Windows Blog, they’ve announced that it would be available to consumers sometime in 2014.

Microsoft has said the new Kinect will come with a new HD camera and a new microphone which will be able to detect human voices in crowded rooms. The sensor will also have a larger field of view and infrared, similar to the one being released for the Xbox One. The new sensor has better skeletal tracking, according to Microsoft, which will allow it to track six skeletons at once, along with being able to track more individual points on a human body, such as the tip of the hand and thumb.

Both the new Kinect sensor and the new Kinect for Windows sensor are being built on a shared set of technologies. Just as the new Kinect sensor will bring opportunities for revolutionizing gaming and entertainment, the new Kinect for Windows sensor will revolutionize computing experiences. The precision and intuitive responsiveness that the new platform provides will accelerate the development of voice and gesture experiences on computers.

We can expect to see more of the new Kinect sensor at the BUILD 2013 conference in June.